PUBPAT Announces Microsoft Patent Watch
Public Interest Organization Monitors Patent Assertion by Software Monopolist
July 12, 2004
NEW YORK -- The Public Patent Foundation ("PUBPAT") announced today the expansion of its Microsoft Patent Watch initiative that monitors and responds to the patent assertion efforts of the Redmond, WA based software monopolist. The initiative, initially an internal activity of the New York based non-profit legal services organization, will now actively involve the public in keeping tabs on Microsoft's aggressive patent licensing and litigation behavior.
"Since the potential for Microsoft to cause significant public harm through assertion of its patent portfolio is unmatched by any other firm in the IT space, we have maintained an internal Microsoft Patent Watch for some time now," said Dan Ravicher, PUBPAT's Executive Director. "However, in light of the numerous reports we've received indicating Microsoft's patent assertion strategy relies on isolating third parties with secretive patent licensing discussions, we have decided to expand the Microsoft Patent Watch to counteract such surreptitious efforts by enlisting the help of the public in collecting as much information about Microsoft's patent aggression as possible."
Prior to today's announcement, PUBPAT's Microsoft Patent Watch initiative has undertaken to comprehensively review and analyze Microsoft's patent portfolio in order to prepare for and respond to any public harm caused by Microsoft's assertion of patents. An early result of PUBPAT's Microsoft Patent Watch efforts was the request for reexamination filed by PUBPAT in April asking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review and ultimately revoke Microsoft's key patent on the FAT File System. That request was granted last month.
Members of the public wishing to submit information to PUBPAT regarding Microsoft's patent assertion activities may email mspatentwatch@pubpat.org.
Contact:
Daniel Ravicher, Executive Director, Public Patent Foundation: 212-545-5337; info@pubpat.org; www.pubpat.org.
About PUBPAT:
The Public Patent Foundation ("PUBPAT") is a not-for-profit legal services organization working to protect the public from the harms caused by the patent system. PUBPAT provides the general public, particularly those persons or businesses otherwise deprived of access to the system governing patents, with representation, advocacy, and education. To be kept informed of PUBPAT News, subscribe to the PUBPAT News List by sending an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to news-request@pubpat.org.